Plenty of intriguing plot twists in the Jets' quarterback soap opera

[Gas2No99]

Plenty of intriguing plot twists in the Jets' quarterback soap opera

Dick SCpitmini ESPN Staff Writer
 

After one episode of Todd Bowles' soap opera, "All My Quarterbacks," this is what we know about the cast:

The new-look Ryan Fitzpatrick, he of the buzz cut and shaved-down beard, is the leading man. He's the undisputed No. 1 on the New York Jetsand No. 1 in the heart of fan/comedian Larry David, who apparently prefers his heroes clean-shaven.

Rookie Christian Hackenberg, whose baby face probably won't allow him to grow a beard, is the No. 3 quarterback. He didn't play in the preseason opener on Thursday night, further proof the organization has him on a layaway plan.

Jets quarterback Bryce Petty on how he felt during Thursday's game: "I felt like I was so much more comfortable than last year, which is exactly what I wanted." AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Geno Smith and Bryce Petty are battling for the No. 2 job, which could be split into two positions (2 and 2a) if the powers that be decide to keep all four quarterbacks. That's a possibility, according to general manager Mike Maccagnan.

The last time a team opened the season with four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster was 2013, when the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings both did it. It's unorthodox, but the Jets' situation is so ... so ... unsettled ("cumbersome" is another word that fits) that it might behoove them to defy conventional thinking. Quarterbacks are currency in the NFL, and their value increases for teams that don't have The Franchise Guy.

Like the Jets.

Smith's primary value to the team is that he's the only experienced backup. He'd be expendable if the Jets ever reach the point where they feel comfortable with Petty as the No. 2. The gap between them closed a bit on Thursday night, but Petty still has work to do. The coming week, culminating with a game at Washington, will be huge for him.

Petty wasn't lights-out against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday -- neither was Smith -- but Bowles liked what he saw.

"They did some good things," he said. "They got pressured at times, but there were no turnovers from the quarterback position, which is always a plus. Both of them threw some good balls. ... [Smith] and Bryce showed poise. At this time last year, they were both a little more erratic. This time, they showed poise."

Actually, Smith never played in the 2015 preseason because of his broken jaw, but you get the point.

On Thursday night, Smith threw a 17-yard touchdown pass after a long kickoff return, then finished up with a 12-play, 60-yard drive for a field goal. Everything else was mediocre. He was 8-for-14, 79 yards, playing conservatively. Petty took an aggressive approach and started strong -- a nine-play, 73-yard drive (missed field goal) -- but it got progressively more sloppy with third-stringers in the game.

Petty was happy.

"One word: comfortable," he said after completing seven of 14 for 93 yards. "I felt like I was so much more comfortable than last year, which is exactly what I wanted."

If the Jets really want to give Petty a shot to overtake Smith, they'll make him the first man off the bench next Friday night in Washington. If he's No. 3 again, handling mop-up, it means they've decided to keep Smith at No. 2. In that case, Petty probably would be playing for his roster spot, not the No. 2 job. For all his shortcomings, Smith has something that Petty can't get this summer -- regular-season experience.

As for Hackenberg, the team's plans for him are clear. He's getting very few practice reps and he might not play until the preseason finale. It looks like a redshirt year, a stark contrast to what Maccagnan said after the draft. Back then, he played it coy when asked if he expected the rookie to compete right away for playing time. Sorry, the charade is over.

"There wasn't enough time," Bowles said, explaining why Hackenberg sat in the opener. "We wanted to take a look at Geno and Bryce. To play Hackenberg with a minimal amount of reps in practice would be doing him a disservice."

Only the Jets can make news with bottom-of-the-depth-chart decisions at quarterback. Can't wait for the next episode of "All My Quarterbacks."

 

 

[Integrity28]

3 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Quarterbacks are currency in the NFL

Great, not only is @AFJF plagiarizing me... but so is Cimini. LOL

[Integrity28]

Petty 100% needs to see time with the 2nd team. 

[Gas2No99]

Petty looked GREAT as a #3 and Geno, once he settled down and more defensive subs played, demonstrated he is a MORE than capable #2 QB WITH game experience. He's about as solid a cannon-armed back-up as we can get at that price. You'd rather have Hoyer as a #2? 

[Integrity28]

2 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Petty looked GREAT as a #3 and Geno, once he settled down and more defensive subs played, demonstrated he is a MORE than capable #2 QB WITH game experience. He's about as solid a cannon-armed back-up as we can get at that price. You'd rather have Hoyer as a #2? 

I dunno, personally I think Geno made one good throw - the TD. The rest was either messy or basic sh*t than any 3rd year guy shouldn't **** up.

Petty gave me goosebumps. Geno gave me gas.

[RutgersJetFan]

Geno looked like Geno, not worth it. If there is any chance of us not having to waste roster space on four quarterbacks the FO needs to make that priority #1 over the next 2-3 weeks. Petty needs more playing time and if he looks anywhere near the part of at least Geno's equal this really isn't even a debate to have.

[joewilly12]

5 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Geno looked like Geno, not worth it. If there is any chance of us not having to waste roster space on four quarterbacks the FO needs to make that priority #1 over the next 2-3 weeks. Petty needs more playing time and if he looks anywhere near the part of at least Geno's equal this really isn't even a debate to have.

Geno did look sloppy but then again he wasn't with the first team so who really knows whatever decision the organization makes lets hope its the right one. 

[RutgersJetFan]

Just now, joewilly12 said:

Geno did look sloppy but then again he wasn't with the first team so who really knows whatever decision the organization makes lets hope its the right one. 

I think you should probably stop giving your takes on quarterbacks.

[joewilly12]

Just now, RutgersJetFan said:

I think you should probably stop giving your takes on quarterbacks.

Excuse me but I agreed with you that Geno didnt look good at all. STOP THE HATE 

[joewilly12]

15 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

I dunno, personally I think Geno made one good throw - the TD. The rest was either messy or basic sh*t than any 3rd year guy shouldn't **** up.

Petty gave me goosebumps. Geno gave me gas.

Considering he played with a bunch of guys who probably wont make the team great observation.

[Gas2No99]

Jets are not cutting Geno, he's too valuable a commodity for this team with two redshirt QBs still AGES away from competantly running a pro NFL offense. 

Geno is a veteran QB with starting game experience who is CHEAP and can step in much more easily than Petty or Hack; he also already knows the offensive schemes. With a gritty, yet still fragile, Fitzy always looking to run for that extra yard, we need an experienced backup QB

[FreindlyFellow]

11 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Excuse me but I agreed with you that Geno didnt look good at all. STOP THE HATE 

I thought Geno looked pretty good. He shook off the early jitters and made some big time throws.

[Beerfish]

2 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Jets are not cutting Geno, he's too valuable a commodity for this team with two redshirt QBs still AGES away from competantly running a pro NFL offense. 

Geno is a veteran QB with starting game experience who is CHEAP and can step in much more easily than Petty or Hack; he also already knows the offensive schemes. With a gritty, yet still fragile, Fitzy always looking to run for that extra yard, we need an experienced backup QB

Experience does not = good.  I agree with your comments for the most part but if Petty plays well in parts of more of the ex games he might give this team as much chance to win as geno does.

[AFJF]

1 hour ago, Integrity28 said:

Great, not only is @AFJF plagiarizing me... but so is Cimini. LOL

Did I steal some stuff outta' your brain?

[mkajet01]

Let's see petty with the second team. Gino not impressive

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[56mehl56]

3 minutes ago, mkajet01 said:

Let's see petty with the second team. Gino not impressive

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Let's see Petty against the second team , can flip that both ways. 

[mkajet01]

And who did petty play with, plus he doesn't get the reps gino doe's, petty looked in control! Gino the same as always! Remember timing is everything, on pettys overthrow to Amaro! They don't practice much together

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[Tinstar]

The Jets should do Geno Smith a favor and release him from his contract . This kid is never going to succeed here . It was disgraceful listening to Marty Lyons and Bobby W. call the game when Smith was at QB compared to the other 2 QBs . It was even more disgraceful hearing supposed Jet Fans boo that kid after every play during a pre season game .

Do the kid a favor and cut him .

[Jetdawgg]

With this schedule I think Geno gives us a better chance to win than Petty does. Petty has never played against a first string D more or less beat one. Have to be practical here.

[kevinc855]

Cut geno, he may know the system but he is so damn inconsistent. Plus they are Gona cut him next year anyway, let petty backup and grow into that role. If the jets do well this year they may sign Fitz for a final 2 years as he backs up and hackenberg plays number 3 till he shows something and they both compete for the job when Fitz is done in a few years

 

[SickJetFan]

1Q ...How is Jimmy G over in NE a better number 2 than Petty?

[kevinc855]

7 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

With this schedule I think Geno gives us a better chance to win than Petty does. Petty has never played against a first string D more or less beat one. Have to be practical here.

That's true about petty but we seen geno play against defenses and the results were not good. The kid is a turnover machine and will always be. He was back at West Virginia too. 

[Integrity28]

3 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

Considering he played with a bunch of guys who probably wont make the team great observation.

He was in like company.

[Integrity28]

2 hours ago, AFJF said:

Did I steal some stuff outta' your brain?

Just piggy-backed some phrasing and points I made, but with you I don't care. I respect your effort, and how you try to write pieces that align to what we're talking about here. 

Cimini is just pathetic.

[Jetdawgg]

29 minutes ago, kevinc855 said:

That's true about petty but we seen geno play against defenses and the results were not good. The kid is a turnover machine and will always be. He was back at West Virginia too. 

Do you really think thar David Nelson makes that TD catch last night from Geno? It is one thing to hate a player. It is clearly not practical to discern the difference between an NFL O and the crew Geno was throwing to previously. Peake made an excellent grab of an excellent pass for a TD.

Geno has beaten number 1 D's. You cannot just throw away that experience unless he clearly dissolves.

[rex-n-effect]

37 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

Do you really think thar David Nelson makes that TD catch last night from Geno? It is one thing to hate a player. It is clearly not practical to discern the difference between an NFL O and the crew Geno was throwing to previously. Peake made an excellent grab of an excellent pass for a TD.

Geno has beaten number 1 D's. You cannot just throw away that experience unless he clearly dissolves.

He wasn't throwing to David Nelson last night and he'll never throw to David Nelson again while he wears a Jets uniform. The question is no longer relevant.

[Larz]

Dick bag is the worst

[joewilly12]

5 minutes ago, Larz said:

Dick bag is the worst

[Rangers9]

David Nelson could have made that catch last night. He was not the epidimy of being a bad NFL receiver. He had 658 and 5 Tds with Fitz and Buff in 2011. And 423 and 2 Tds with Geno. He was never a no. 1 but not the bum some people paint him out to be. 

[Gas2No99]

5 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Experience does not = good.  I agree with your comments for the most part but if Petty plays well in parts of more of the ex games he might give this team as much chance to win as geno does.

Experience = BETTER. 

It is a nature of law and the fact that Geno has 2 years more NFL exposure than Petty makes him better. The QB is a MATURATION PROCESS and Petty is EXACTLY where Geno was in 2013 and in 2014 - NOT READY. I'm not a Geno fan, but he is a much more valuable asset than Petty is at this point in time; to state Petty playing well means he should be the #2 is silly conjecture IMO. Geno has proven that he can step in and is capable (not great, but able) of running the offense against starting NFL defenses (Raiders in Nov'15); Petty has not shown that ability yet. 

 

And the OBVIOUS reason I HIGHLY doubt that they WILL NOT CUT GENO, is because the guy RAN all the Spring OTAs and was the annointed started up until the 7pm deadline of July 27th. SO WHY would they cut a QB who they were willing to go with as the starter all off-season and then simply cut him when he's probably at the best point he's been in as an NFL QB his entire your career?

 

cutting Geno is simply bad asset management and demonstrates why most of you (myself included ) are and should NOT running this franchise. 

[Warfish]

Personally, I'd like to see Petty in 2nd relief in Preseason Week 2, and Geno the #3.

Flip the first week, see how they do.

I don't see Geno being cut, the allure of an experienced #2 in a win-now year will be too strong.

But Geno has no future here, and Petty could, especially with Hack being so far away from NFL ready.

Ideal world, it's Fitz, Pettty & Hack.

Real world it's almost assuredly Fitz, Geno and Hack, with Petty on the P.S. and a hope no one takes him (a fair bet tbh).

 

[Jetdawgg]

4 hours ago, rex-n-effect said:

He wasn't throwing to David Nelson last night and he'll never throw to David Nelson again while he wears a Jets uniform. The question is no longer relevant.

And that is why that dart went for a TD. David Nelson could not make that catch. Your argument lacks merit. You can only judge Geno from his past. Yet when it is presented to you along with his current performance you reject the reality. 

[AFJF]

9 hours ago, Integrity28 said:

Just piggy-backed some phrasing and points I made, but with you I don't care. I respect your effort, and how you try to write pieces that align to what we're talking about here. 

Cimini is just pathetic.

The most frustrating thing about Cimini is that he's probably the most knowledgeable guy on the beat, and he knocks it out of the park every now and then.  It just seems he's rarely willing to put in the effort do do that on a regular basis.

[mkajet01]

Where doe's all this love for Gina Smith come from? He proved he stinks! He doesn't have the instincts! Pocket presense

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[Villain The Foe]

9 hours ago, Rangers9 said:

David Nelson could have made that catch last night. He was not the epidimy of being a bad NFL receiver. He had 658 and 5 Tds with Fitz and Buff in 2011. And 423 and 2 Tds with Geno. He was never a no. 1 but not the bum some people paint him out to be. 

David Nelson was terrible.